Tag Archives: Janet Halfmann

Here’s recent news from members of the Wisconsin’s chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators:

Former CWW award winner Jacqueline Houtman’s article, “The Human Microbiome: Your Own Personal Ecosystem” is in FASEB, a publication for general audiences and Congress emphasizing the importance of basic science. She also obtained funding for a tour in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.to promote her book Bayard Rustin: The Invisible Activist, which she co-wrote Walter Naegle and Michael G. Long.

Ann Bausum's next book, Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights, is for teens and her first published by Viking. Her many earlier books were published by National Geographic. Ann's hosting a lauch party A Room of One's Own in Madison on Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m.

Two Wisconsin’s Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators chapter members are receiving CWW awards for their children’s books.

Bridget Birdsall‘s YA novel “Double Exposure” won the Tofte/Wright Award for children’s
literature,. Janet Halfmann‘s picture book, “Animal Teachers,” took honorable mention. The awards banquet, BTW, is May 16 at the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee. Anyone may register and attend. Details are at www.wiseriters. org. Click on Banquet under Awards tab.

Ann Angel‘s Things I’ll Never Say, Stories About Our Secret Selves of15 stories by some amazing authors, came out in March. Ann says she’ll be doing a Secrets workshop for teachers and teens on April 18 at Barnes and Noble, Southland, in Racine.

The Council for Wisconsin Writers announced today the winners and honorable mentions for this year’s Wisconsin Writers Awards.

The Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award goes to Chloe Krug Benjamin of Madison for The Anatomy of Dreams, (Atria/Simon & Schuster). There was no honorable mention this year.

John Hildebrand of Eau Claire is the winner of the Norbert Blei/August Derleth Nonfiction Book Award for The Heart of Things: A Midwestern Almanac (Wisconsin Historical Society Press). Tom Pamperin of Chippewa Falls receives honorable mention for Jagular Goes Everywhere: (mis) Adventures in a $300 Sailboat (Cedar Street Press).

Sean Bishop of Madison is the winner of the Edna Meudt Poetry Book Award for his book The Night We’re Not Sleeping In (Sarabande Books). Honorable mention goes to Angela Sorby of Milwaukee for The Sleeve Waves (UW Press).

Margaret Benbow of Madison is the winner of the Zona Gale Award for Short Fiction with “Joe Szabo and the Gypsy Bride,” (The Antioch Review). Liam Callanan of Milwaukee is the recipient of an honorable mention for “Exhibit A” (Commonweal).

Catherine Jagoe of Madison is the winner of the Kay W. Levin Short Nonfiction Award for her essay “A Ring of Bells” (Gettysburg Review). Patti See of Chippewa Falls receives honorable mention for her essay “Hunter’s Mother” (The WayFarer).

The Lorine Niedecker Poetry Award for five individual poems goes to Cathryn Cofell of Appleton. Honorable mention goes to DeWitt Clinton of Shorewood.

The winner of the $250 CWW Essay Award for Young Writers is Kade Byrand of Sheboygan, a sophomore at IDEAS Academy in Sheboygan for his essay “Shadow Dad.” Honorable mention goes to Erica Howe of Readstown, a junior at Viroqua Area Public School, for her essay “Narrowing it Down.”

Winners of the Wisconsin Writers Awards for work published in 2014 will each receive $500 and a week-long writing residency at Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point. Honorable mentions will receive $50. Out-of-state judges made the decisions for each award.

Daniel Goldin, owner of Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee is winner of the Christopher Latham Sholes Award, which recognizes a Wisconsin resident for outstanding encouragement and support of Wisconsin writers and carries a $500 prize, was announced earlier this year.

Awards will be presented at CWW’s annual Awards Banquet, May 16, at the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee. Details are at http://www.wiswriters.org/2014%20winners.htm.

Here are January doings with Wisconsin’s stunningly talented writers for children and young adults that have crossed the CWW radar:

Gayle Rosengren says she’s “over the moon” that her MG historical fiction book, What the Moon Said, is among the outstanding children’s titles–especially, Gayle says, “those by Crystal Chan, Jamie Swenson, Ann Bausum, and Thelma Godin who are Wisconsin SCBWI friends!–that have been named CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center) CHOICES for 2015.” Congratulations to all of you exceptional authors.

Silvia Acevedo’s debut young adult novel God Awful Loser, which she and her illustrator husband Jeff Miracola created under the auspices of Three Points Publishing, will be available this spring.

Prolific author Ann Bausum whose many excellent historical nonfiction books for middle grade and teen readers, which have been published by National Geographic, has a pair of new books out about a World War I heroic canine and his human companion. Stubby the War Dog “served on 17 battlefronts, suffered wounds from crossfire, became a national celebrity, met three Presidents, and found a best friend in American soldier J. Robert Conroy,” according the the book blurb on Ann’s website. http://www.annbausum.com/stubby-twd.html. Ann reports that the “California Reading Association recently announced its 2014 EUREKA! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards. Eight titles earned Gold awards, including my children’s title Stubby the War Dog.” The accompanying adult book is Sergeant Stubby: How a Stray Dog and His Best Friend Helped win World War I and Stole the Heart of a Nation. http://www.annbausum.com/stubby-sgt.html

Nanci Mortimer has signed a contract with Wooden Nickel Press for her first picture book, titled Electric Angel, which is due out next October.

The biography, Bayard Rustin: The Invisible Activist, published by Quaker Books of FGC, which Jacqueline Houtman co-authored with Walter Naegle and Mike Long, is scheduled for release on Nov. 15. Jacqueline will be reading from the book on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. at A Room of One’s Own bookstore, 315 W. Groham St. in Madison.

Janet Halfmann‘s Rainbow of Birds is available as an audio book, in Janet’s own voice! Here’s the link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-rainbow-of-birds/id908869143?mt=11

Three of these authors, Ann, Jacqueline and Janet, are previous CWW Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award winners!

A double shout out to Janet Halfmann whose Animal Teachers has received the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio’s 2014 Best Books Gold Seal. Here’s a link to the announcement:http://www.toyportfolio.com/SingleProduct.php?ProductID=8201. Here’s what the Toy Portfolio had this to say about Animal Teachers: “How do animals learn? They don’t go to school or have books. In a charming and informative book, they learn from their teachers, their mothers, fathers and sometimes the herd they live with in the great outdoor classroom of the world. Each new idea is followed with interactive questions that give children a chance to make the connections between their world and how they learn.”

Janet says her Eggs 1, 2, 3 won the same award a couple years ago.

Janet also reports that Animal Teachers appears in the latest newsletter of the Environmental Education Association of Illinois with this mention: “This book embodies the importance of sound science with the work that we do as interpreters/educators. The possibilities for having students bark like prairie dog pups and drink like elephant Moms are endless.”

Jessica Salyer‘s YA contemporary romance novel, Secret Catch, which she wrote with Cassie Mae is debuting October 7. To celebrate, she’s having a book launch party at Moe’s Irish Pub in Wauwatosa at 6 pm on October 17 and hopes friends, colleagues and other interested folks will join her there.

Valerie Biel (Johnson) says the official release of her YA novel Circle of Nine–Beltany is October 24, coincidentally the first day of the WISCBWI Fall Conference. Here’s the book’s back cover blurb: “Since I was a little girl I’ve been labeled a freak in my small town. There’s no blending in when your mom practices an ancient pagan religion and everyone believes she’s a witch. On my 15th birthday my secret wish is the same as always – to just be normal. But that’s not what I get. Not even close.” – Brigit Quinn

More info is at Valerie’s website at www.ValerieBiel.com, including book-giveaway contests from now until the 24th via her blog, Facebook page, and Twitter.